Saturday 12 February 2011

The universe cares about my washing machine

Okay, so I was putting off buying the washing machine. I don’t know – it was all just too complicated. Too many choices; too many considerations. Spin cycles; energy ratings; load weight; integrated or non-integrated. Heck, who cares? It’s why I hate shopping nowadays. Too much choice is killing us. Good book incidentally.


But then the old one chewed another set of branded towels and spat globules of snot over my one remaining halfway decent bra and so I sighed, girded my loins (love that phrase) and turned on the PC. Sometime a while back, someone on Twitter talked about some website that gave really good reviews and helped plough a meaningful furrow through all this endless tedium but could I remember the name? Could I hell. Brain is disintegrating so fast, there will be just vague shreds of words left soon and this blog will be unintelligible to all but those loyal (foolish) souls willing to put in the hours plugging the gaps.

Well, blow me down with a feather, Trevor. Or rather, Ian. An email from Ian Goodall. Who he? Well, only he of Appliances Online. Now THAT was the badger! And you tell me the universe isn’t listening? Heathen scum. Shit, the universe even cares about my washing machine.

But seriously. Neat site, if you have to buy dreaded domestic appliances. Otherwise, it is (let’s be honest) probably your worst nightmare.

So. I was dutiful. I checked a few models. Even browsed a few videos. Then I thought WTF? As long as it doesn’t deposit slime and makes clothes appear reasonably clean and fragrant, I don’t really care. So I did the usual eeny meeny miny mo and picked one. Don’t even THINK about asking which one and don’t for the love of God tell me why I should have bought this or how you adore that because I don’t care. It is done. I have probably chosen poorly again (still puzzling over how tiny my iPod is – it didn’t look that tiny in the picture) so I don’t want to know.

Enough already about this bunch. You’ll be thinking this Ian chap is paying me to talk about it. Huh? Oh. Yeah. Well, he did offer me £30 of Amazon vouchers. And I have just got a new iPod and a new Kindle and am about to go to life rehab (necessitating ten hours of rail travel) so...well... y’know. Life is tough and we are living on cereal (don't panic; I’ll save that for tomorrow - so you can purposefully avoid it).

So now I have a whole new set of dilemmas. Because, really, £30 goes nowhere if, like me, you a) speed read and b) haven’t bought any new music for years.

So...suggestions anyone?  

While I’m dithering, I’ve been downloading some nice music for free from here.... the composer is a bonkers Scouser who warns that there may be subliminal messages in the tracks...(he can’t quite remember). Just don’t blame me if it does your head in, alright? He’s just some weirdo I met on the Internet. :-)

16 comments:

Fran Hill said...

I probably could have saved millions by now if I ever bothered to check different brands of things etc etc. But I don't. I walk into shops, pick one, and go home for a cup of tea. Just no stamina.

DD's Diary said...

well, my goodness, that is darn spooky, I bought a washing machine this morning ...after checking Appliances Online. Woke up at 6 with a consuming need to buy one .... brought on by moving into a washing machine-free house next week. We must be spiritual twins. Mine is a Samsung Somethingorother, did you get the same one? Axx

Exmoorjane said...

Fran: Ah, I hear you but really, relax. You may be poorer but you will be less stressed. We are apparently suffering from 'overchoice' which leads to stress, anhedonia and even 'anticipation regret'... :)

DD: Washing machine spiritual twins we are! But...shush your mouth, I said NOT to mention brands. No, I didn't get the Samsung...I got something Very Cheap and Nasty (cos none of my clothes fit me anymore so need at least a new pair of jeans!)xx

F said...

When I decided we needed a new vacuum, Em responsibly checked all the consumer reports venues and read the reviews on different models, researched bag availability, made a list of what to look for. After six more months of our poor old vacuum choking along while we debated Electrolux vs. Volta and upright vs. canister, I got a circular from an appliance store in conjunction with the supermarket that I allow to aggregate my data in exchange for discounts. They were having a crazy sale on a Bosch for people with the supermarket member card, something like fifty bucks for a two hundred dollar vacuum.

I went and bought it the next day. It's worked just fine. It sucks up dirt and deposits it in a bag and does not make squealing, groaning, grinding sounds.

Also, it has something like sixteen filters. And bionics.

I don't even know what that is, but how can you go wrong with a bionic vacuum cleaner?

Anonymous said...

Blimey, that was complicated. I just went to our local shop and said "Give me one that works"!

And it does, keeps me out of The Children's Mother's hair for hours!

Irene said...

I'm going to buy one soon and I'm going to buy the most user friendly one for the least amount of money, while it will still be a familiar, well known brand (so not one from an obscure factory in China). I'm sure it will be fine. I'm not going to break my head over it. I would like some vouchers too, though.

Stacey said...

<3 your blog!

Stopping by from:
http://madeofsnails.blogspot.com/
&
http://staceylovesscents.blogspot.com/

Unknown said...

I am the lucky wife of a man who loves nothing more than spending hours researching things online. Doesn't matter what it is, he wont buy it until it's been thoroughly researched and he has got all the voucher codes and discounts he can find.

So I get him to do all that and then tell him what colour I want it in.

Simples!

As for Amazon - after all that work I would treat yourself to some pampering stuff.

Tattieweasle said...

I'm of the take a wad of cash and ask the very nice chappie in Comet how much of a discount can I get...however I still think he takes me for a ride...better contact Ian!

Linda said...

re washing machines - did you know that you need to keep the door ajar when not in use, otherwise in breeds smells and slimies? Just a thought.

Mrs. Tuna said...

I just leave all of the choices on that crap to the Big Tuna. They either run or don't

F said...

I just noticed the creepy face in the washing machine. I don't think I'm doing laundry today.

Michele Brenton aka banana_the_poet said...

A new Twitter acquaintance said something lovely to me yesterday so I went to their blog for a rummage & discovered they'd written a book.

It was on Kindle for around two quid & I treated myself on a whim.

It turned out to be VERY good.

I've done a 5 star review of it I liked it so much. It is about a 49 yr old wife and mother who gets a few life crises all at once & how she deals with them. Not my usual SFF or comedy read - but I really enjoyed it. You might too. Here's the link to it on Amazon. It is out in paperback as well if you prefer.

http://tinyurl.com/changeoflifenovel

Anonymous said...

Who is Exmoor Jane?
Where is Exmoor jane?

julie said...

Jane, what do you think?

Moor call for 'greater democracy' - North Devon Journal
http://www.thisisdevon.co.uk/politics/Moor-greater-democracy/article-3254697-detail/article.html

"The Review revealed only eight members lived within the park boundary. A further ten members lived outside the boundary but in the two counties straddled by the moor and four members lived outside Devon and Somerset."

Exmoorjane said...

Anonymous: who the feck knows? :)

Julie: email me. But, in a nutshell, my feeling has always been that Exmoor doesn't need fecking big cheeses from the home counties telling us how to live.
:(